As the host nation, South Africa qualifies automatically for the tournament. However, South Africa did participate in World Cup qualifiers because the CAF qualifiers also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. They were the first host since 1934 to participate in preliminary qualifying. Like the previous tournament, the defending champions Italy do not qualify automatically.
The preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup was held in Durban, South Africa, on 25 November 2007. The Final draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be staged in Cape Town, South Africa, on 4 December 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.[2]
List of qualified teams
The following 23 teams have qualified as of 14 October 2009.
Team  | Qualified as | Qualification date | Appearance in finals | Consecutive Streak | Previous best performance | Current1 FIFA Ranking [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Africa | Host | 15 May 2004 | 3rd | 1 (first since 2002) | Group Stage (1998, 2002) | 85 |
 Japan | AFC Fourth Round Group A Runners-Up | 6 June 2009 | 4th | 4 | Round of 16 (2002) | 40 |
 Australia | AFC Fourth Round Group A Winners | 6 June 2009 | 3rd | 2 | Round of 16 (2006) | 24 |
 Korea Republic | AFC Fourth Round Group B Winners | 6 June 2009 | 8th | 7 | Fourth Place (2002) | 48 |
 Netherlands | UEFA Group 9 Winners | 6 June 2009 | 9th | 2 | Runners-Up (1974, 1978) | 3 |
 Korea DPR | AFC Fourth Round Group B Runners-Up | 17 June 2009 | 2nd | 1 (first since 1966) | Quarter-finals (1966) | 91 |
 Brazil | CONMEBOL Winners | 5 September 2009 | 19th | 19 | Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) | 1 |
 Ghana | CAF Third Round Group D Winners | 6 September 2009 | 2nd | 2 | Round of 16 (2006) | 38 |
 England | UEFA Group 6 Winners | 9 September 2009 | 13th | 4 | Winners (1966) | 7 |
 Spain | UEFA Group 5 Winners | 9 September 2009 | 13th | 9 | Fourth Place (1950) | 2 |
 Paraguay | CONMEBOL Third Place | 9 September 2009 | 8th | 4 | Round of 16 (1986, 1998, 2002) | 21 |
 Côte d'Ivoire | CAF Third Round Group E Winners | 10 October 2009 | 2nd | 2 | Group Stage (2006) | 19 |
 Germany | UEFA Group 4 Winners | 10 October 2009 | 17th2 | 15 | Winners (1954, 1974, 1990) | 5 |
 Denmark | UEFA Group 1 Winners | 10 October 2009 | 4th | 1 (first since 2002) | Quarter-finals (1998) | 27 |
 Serbia | UEFA Group 7 Winners | 10 October 2009 | 11th3 | 2 | Fourth Place (19305, 1962) | 20 |
 Italy | UEFA Group 8 Winners | 10 October 2009 | 17th | 13 | Winners (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) | 4 |
 Chile | CONMEBOL Runner-Up | 10 October 2009 | 8th | 1 (first since 1998) | Third Place (1962) | 17 |
 Mexico | CONCACAF Fourth Round Runners-Up | 10 October 2009 | 14th | 5 | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) | 18 |
 United States | CONCACAF Fourth Round Winners | 10 October 2009 | 9th | 6 | Third Place (19305) | 11 |
 Switzerland | UEFA Group 2 Winners | 14 October 2009 | 9th | 2 | Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954) | 13 |
 Slovakia | UEFA Group 3 Winners | 14 October 2009 | 9th4 | 1 (first since 1990) | Runners-Up (1934, 1962) | 33 |
 Argentina | CONMEBOL Fourth Place | 14 October 2009 | 15th | 10 | Winners (1978, 1986) | 6 |
 Honduras | CONCACAF Fourth Round Third Place | 14 October 2009 | 2nd | 1 (first since 1982) | Group Stage (1982) | 35 |
- 1.^ Standings are current as of 16 October 2009.
- 2.^ Competed as West Germany from 1954 to 1990; 6th appearance as Germany.
- 3.^ Competed as Yugoslavia from 1930 to 1998 and Serbia and Montenegro for 2006; 1st appearance as Serbia.
- 4.^ Competed as Czechoslovakia from 1934 to 1990; 1st appearance as Slovakia.
- 5.^ No official third place match took place in 1930 and no official third place was awarded at the time; both United States and Yugoslavia lost in the semi-finals. However, FIFA lists the teams as third and fourth respectively. 1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay ™
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